Victorian Cameo Cheese Tapenade (Printable)

Creamy cheese medallions accented with black olive tapenade and herbs for refined servings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheese

01 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre) or cream cheese

→ Tapenade

02 - 3 oz black olive tapenade (store-bought or homemade)

→ Garnish & Base

03 - 4 slices rustic baguette or gluten-free crackers (optional)
04 - Fresh herbs (thyme or chives), finely chopped, for garnish
05 - Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

# How To Make It:

01 - Scoop or shape the cheese into four thick oval medallions, approximately ¾ inch thick, and place each on a serving plate or atop a slice of bread or cracker if using.
02 - Using the back of a spoon or a small spatula, carefully spread a thin layer of black olive tapenade onto each cheese oval, creating a cameo effect. Optionally, use a stencil or freehand a profile or decorative shape.
03 - Drizzle extra virgin olive oil around each cameo and sprinkle with finely chopped fresh herbs.
04 - Serve immediately, with extra bread or crackers on the side if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks so much more impressive than the five minutes it takes to assemble, making you feel like a sophisticated host without the stress.
  • The creamy cheese and briny olive combination tastes both familiar and unexpectedly elegant, with a texture contrast that keeps people reaching for more.
02 -
  • The tapenade needs to be spread thinly or it overwhelms the delicate cheese—treat it like you're painting, not frosting a cake.
  • If your cheese is too cold and hard, it will crack under the spoon; if it's too warm, the tapenade will sink into it rather than sitting on top, so temperature control is your secret weapon.
03 -
  • A slightly damp spoon or spatula helps you spread the tapenade cleanly without dragging the cheese—dip it in water and shake off the excess before each stroke.
  • If you're nervous about free-handing the silhouette, cut a simple profile shape from parchment paper, lay it on the cheese, and spread tapenade over the top, then lift away the stencil for a perfect outline.
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